Egypt is a Land filled with Mystery, Great food, Warm local hospitality, Captivating cities and Relics of the Great Civilisation of the Ancient Egyptians. Few, however, are able to compete with the Beauty of the Picturesque Luxor in Egypt and its Many Historical sites Such as The Temple of Karnak & last but not least, the Luxor Temple. Despite the many things to see & to do in Luxor the Luxor temple stays prominent among all. As with Any Relics from the Egyptian Pharaonic Era is subject to a multitude of questions like Who built the Luxor Temple & who Discovered it amongst others. Today we will attempt to give you the answers you need giving you one more Reason to Visit the Beautiful city of Luxor in Egypt.
This Complex of a Temple is located in the City of Loxur in Egypt on the East bank of the River Nile & A one hour from Cairo by air, 3 hours by road from Hurghada, and three hours by road from Aswan. Known as “ipet resyt” in the Era of the Ancient Egyptians Translating to “The Southern Sanctuary” and is one of the Many Temples and ancient constructs that riddle the East & West Bank of the Nile. Despite the aforementioned fact, the Luxor Temple Stands out among its brethren as it is not dedicated to a certain god or cult but the constant Renewal of Kingship.
Its believed that that this monumental temple was built around 1400 BCE WIth the Credit of Construction shared between Amenhotep the third of the 18th dynasty, Tutankhamun & Ramses the Second. Built using sandstone from the Gebel el-Silsila Area located in the South-Western Area of Egypt commonly referred to as Nubian Sandstone. The Luxor Temple sticks to the same themes of symbolism & illusionism. An example of such a technique is the two Obelisks flanking the entrance are not Equal in height yet Create the illusion that they are. The massive temple complex is 850 feet long and about 213 feet across the front. The main entrance leads to a vast peristyle courtyard built by Ramses the second and serving as a chapel in Roman times.
The first unofficial discovery could be attributed to the local inhabitants of the are lived in and around the temple. Yet the FIrst true excavation of the Luxor Temple started in 1884 by Gaston Maspero after getting the green light to commence operations. The excavations carried own periodically until 1960. Lately, Maspero has received the authorisation needed for fund-collecting to negotiate compensations for the locally inhabited pieces of Land
The Luxor Temple as mentioned above held no devotion to a specific pharaoh or Ancient Egyptian deity. It was However dedicated to the Theban Triad of the cult of the Royal Ka. The temple also acted as a centrefold of the Opet Festival in wich a statue of Amun was paraded through the Nile from near the Karnak Temple. Another Important Section of the Temple was the Shrine stations. A straight line Avenue between the Luxor & Karnak Temple with human-headed sphinxes of Nekhtanebo. Each of the Stations had its own importance such as the station of Kamare that cooled the oar of Amun, Last but not least the temple is believed to have been a centre of Coronation for a large amount of the Kings in Egypt. The temple is also surrounded with a Legionary fortress and the Home of the Roman Government in the Area making it Rich in history and a Masterpiece of the Pharaonic Era.
No Tour to Egypt is complete without visiting the mesmerizing lands of Luxor and its many attractions, great weather & Pleathura of archaeological sites with the Luxor Temple serving as the pièce de résistance Luxor attractions.